Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-02-10


length was lying woman, or rather
girl, for she did not look more than one
or two and-twenty. She was in evening
dress. and around her neck was q curious,
" wrought old mosaic necklace. At this
moment, as l think of her, see her again
as clearly as / saw her that night. She
was q beautiful woman, one that in any
case it would not have been easy to for
get. but / had never seen her before. As
| looked at her-she was in the full glare
of the setting sum noticed there was
a thin red line running around her neck
as if it had been cut with some sharp in
strument, and blood was slowly oozinp
out on one side, and running down the
pillow. Then, for the first time l noticed
that the man who was standing by ny
side, held long pointed knife in his
hand, and it was bloodstained. ! sprang
forward to raise the woman.
tine next thing / remember was that
| was standing with my hand upon the
handle of the bedroom door, ready to 20
down TO dinner"
Beads OF Precipitation were standing
on my husbands brow when ne finished
speaking.
MY dear Herbert, you surely didnot
let that trouble you? You we're tired-it
is an awful journey 20 Pembroke. You
must ave had some sort of a fit, per
haps touch of sunstroke?7 and stroye
to drive away my husbands gloom, for
his gastly paleness frightened me.
He looked dreamingly out of the win
dow.
eyes, yes that is what l said TO myself
| did not like it even then, for it is not
pleasant to have ones Imagination play
ing such tricks but [ was sure it was on
Is imagination, particularly as l found
that the little door was bolted on my side
and locked on the other | shook myself
together and won't down into the drawing
room. There were several people stay
ing in the house; some few were old
friends of mine but most of them were
strangers. Dinner was late, for Mr..
Beaumont and some of the men had been
out shooting on the mOors. was sitting
on the sofa talking to Mrs. Beaumont,
when Just az the gong was sounding, a
tall beautiful girl came into the room,
and as she passed turned TO speak to Mrs.
Beaumont
For a moment my heart ceased beat.
inc. She was the woman whom | had seen
that night, lying on the bed with her
throat cut. II was the same form, the
same little golden curls, and the same
quaint old mosaic necklace was around
her neck and standing not yard be
hind h-r. was the tall dark Creole, whom I
/ had last seen with a blood-stained knife
( in his hand
"The room seemed to spin around;
could only gaze helplessly at the girl
Mrs. Beaumont must have thought that
/ was mad. Mechanically l listened while
/ she asked me if I felt i'll, and assured me
that ! would xiii myself il aid not take
more rest.
AT length l recovered myself sufi.
GENTLY to ask who the lady with the
golden hair was.
THAT tai girl in white: She is Annie
Iisle niece o. MIR. Beaumont Is she
not pretty? And that tall dark man that
came in with her IN her dancee, the
Count de LISA. They are TO be married
next month
"The next day told Mrs. Beaumont all
that had SEEN or dreamed. She listen
ed to me very patiently, but smiled, and
assured me that | had been working too
hard. and must stay and let them nurse
me. With infinite trouble l persuaded
her to come to my room and unlock the
side door AS soon as | entered the room
into when it opened, recognized it, and
at once, without a moments hesitation,
led the way through the second room, tho
passage and the corridor, just az the man
had taken me the night before. | knew
every step of the way, and only stopped
when we reached the door of the room
where I had seen the woman lying. Here
Mrs. Beaumont held me back. l noticed
that although she still tried to smile size
seemed anxious and disturbed. She knock
at the door, and then, as no answer came,
we went in. 1t was the room l had been
in the night before. l recognized it at
once. 1t was impossible to mistake that
large old fashioned four post bed; ! could
have sworn to the very pattern of the
hangings.
"And this was Annie Isles room, Mrs.
Beaumont told me.
"What was to he done: Annie Lisle
was penniless girl, and the Count de
Lissa was brilliant parti and man OF
irreproachable character.
Mrs. Beaumont argued that it would
be short of cruelty to let the story be
known.
Il lett the house that night, and the
marriage took place the next month
+" am waiting for the sequel"
L